There are a myriad of products intended to protect young children from the everyday dangers as the child grows and explores their new world. Car seats protect them from physical harm while riding in a car and sunshades shield their eyes and skin from the harmful effects of ultraviolet light. High chairs secure them at the dinner table, and barriers keep them from falling down stairs and out of beds. As toddlers begins to walk, climb, and explore, the risk of injury from falling and wondering off also increases.
Parents and care providers typically attempt to assist the toddler with these activities and protect them from the inherent dangers of growing up and various attempts have been made in the past to provide a safety and support harness for children. Other solutions include the use of a baby walker, safety vest, or similar garments. These solutions can limit the toddler's sense of independence and can impede the natural development of balance and strength. Harnesses which only secure to a child in limited areas can lead to the toddler escaping and elongated support straps and handles can create hazards if not constantly controlled by the caregiver.
Not just toddlers but older children with balance and gait issues have a need for assistance in this manner. Abnormal gaits in children include a stepping gait often arising from peripheral neuropathies, spina bifida and polio, a spastic gait associated diplegic and quadriplegic cerebral palsy, and ‘clumsy gait’ which is a term used when there are problems with motor co-ordination, occurring with mild cerebral palsy, cerebellar ataxia, lower motor neuron disorders, inflammatory arthritis or myopathies. Physical and Occupational Therapists as well as families with a disabled child desire a simple device that can be used to assist them in assisting those in their care to walk. In the past trainers have mainly used their hands to hold the trainee around the waist or torso, but this involves bending over or stooping which places the trainer in a weakened position and prone to injury. Some trainers use various types of infant walkers, which may reduce the load they need to support but provides little other assistance. Many harnesses have been devised by others not only for such therapeutic purposes but also for teaching such recreational abilities as skiing and skating. Full body harnesses exist in the marketplace for various purposes such as rock climbing and hang gliding, but these are not well suited to everyday moving about.
Attempts to address these problems have existed for many years, including the following U.S. patents and publications: U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,749,999; 1,193,374; 4,537,154; 4,840,144; 4,981,110; 5,435,272; 6,125,792; 6,338,699; 6,968,809; 7,267,080; 7,341,025; 8,147,252; 8,336,503; 2008/0078335. Most solutions provide harnesses, typically with a large handle at the top or in the back, while some also have leads, legs straps or crotch straps.
While these devices fulfill their particular objectives, each suffers from one or more disadvantages, most notably the attendant stigma or indignity associated with wearing a device that is clearly intended as a walking aid.